Publishing
Mythology story book design
Mythology titles carry expectations. Readers arrive knowing the stories, and often knowing how they have been illustrated before. The design has to feel rooted in the tradition without looking like a photocopy of a 1970s edition.
Overview
What this service covers
We design and illustrate retellings of Indian, Greek, Norse, Egyptian and regional folklore for children's, young adult and adult readers. That includes the cover, the ornamental system running through the book, and the illustrations themselves.
Visual research comes first. Ornament, dress, architecture and iconography are checked against period and regional sources, so a Chola-era retelling does not end up dressed in Mughal detail.
Process
Four stages, each with an approval point
Source research
We gather visual references from the period and region the retelling draws on.
Style and character sheets
Palette, line quality and principal characters approved before production art starts.
Illustration production
Scenes drawn in sequence, reviewed in batches so the look stays consistent.
Layout and delivery
Artwork placed into the designed pages and supplied as press-ready files.
What we provide
The deliverables, item by item
Cover and jacket design
Ornamental or figurative covers that signal the tradition without pastiche.
Character design
Deities, heroes and creatures designed with attention to established iconography.
Ornamental systems
Borders, dividers, chapter marks and drop caps drawn as a reusable set.
Full-page and spot illustration
Key scenes rendered in colour, with smaller spots carrying the narrative between them.
Map and genealogy artwork
Family trees, realm maps and timelines drawn to match the illustration style.
Page layout
Text and image set together so illustrations sit with the passages they belong to.
Who it suits
Commissioned most often by
If your situation is not on this list, describe it in an email and we will tell you plainly whether this is the right service.
Talk to our team- Children's and YA publishers
- Cultural and religious institutions
- Educational publishers
- Authors retelling folklore
- Museum and heritage publishers
Benefits
What you get out of it
Research before rendering
Iconography checked rather than improvised from memory.
A consistent ornamental language
One drawn system used throughout instead of assorted clip ornament.
Suitable for series
Style sheets that let later volumes match the first.
Respectful of the tradition
Sacred and cultural material handled with care and checked back with you.
Portfolio
Work in this category
A sample of studio work in this category.
Questions
Before you brief us
Ready to brief this project?
Send the details and a scope, schedule and fixed quote come back within one working day.